Smokin
on down the trail  E-Street RaceVDR's Editor heads South for the Ahrma Post-Vintage National
in Marysville, California  December 8th 2002

CJ's
big money saving plan

The
rescheduling of this race was a source of tremendous annoyance itself
as I had driven all the way to the Bay Area for this race last month
only to have them call it off a few hours after a two day drive. Rained
Out

Actually
the more specific (ie different) reason given
was that they couldnt get the equipment there in time to prep
the track. We saw lots of giant equipment driving around at Hollister
the next day prepping SOMETHING so that also obviously wasn't the real
deal. Hmmmm.

I
couldnt decide whether to bother coming down for this race- rescheduled
for December 8th, not for Hollister, but for E-Street Bridge track in
Marysville, east of I-5 near Sacramento. As it later turned out, the
race wasnt called off because of Rain.

This
is a idiotic story, but evidently some cretin on a modern bike with
five miles of suspension travel managed to fall OFF his motorcycle when
he hit a garden hose (?) on a Wednesday no less, as he roared around
a deserted track by himself, and got hurt.

He
then had to decide whether to lose his shirt, or ruin the sport for
everyone, and he chose B), and he sued the owner of the track.

The
track closed, and all the insurance carriers in California had a fit.
So it seems that Hollister was canceled about Insurance, not Rain or
Equipment.

The
Race Date was rescheduling for December 8th, and I
couldnt find anyone going, and I couldnt bring myself to
ask Jonathan again for his truck again- (hed kindly lent it to
me for the November junket) , and so I began to imagine my little car
w/the YZ400D in the back.

A
few suggested Id never get it in- but in fact on Thursday night
Reg came by, and after having taken the wheels/forks/seat/tank/fenders
off the bike, it went right in. I had picked up two new tarps so the
car would be protected.
Driving through the darkening country, I was happy for my little Honda-
which I never have to worry about. The temperature sits on the floor,
and stayed there the entire way to California and back. Friday night
I
was in Corvallis by 7:40pm, and stayed with an old friend there -
up at five by myself to start the drive south. It was sharply freezing
cold, and quite foggy, and I got lost temporarily in Corvallis even
on the familiar route through town because I couldnt see anything.
On the freeway the fog was thick as soup, and I hung on to the tailights
of a pickup who was doing about 85 in 40 foot visibility. But he was
gone. The dark trees whipping by- FOGGY dew!

But
it began to get light. And chasing a white Bronco who was going about
95mph I got up almost to 100. But I was thinking that maybe I should
slow down. Then I saw an Oregon State Patrol Car come whipping across
the median and zoom away ahead of me. I nipped off the road to hit a
rest stop- and once going again I saw the White Bronco sitting by the
way with the OSP behind it. Suddenly in Ashland I drove out of the fog
into bright sunlight, and before I knew it I was there.

Donny lives just inside the Oregon California border , and he was yanking
an RM500 motor or something out of a old frame. He was wearing a tan
jumpsuit. A superbly decent guy- we put the YZ together in short order,
loaded up and were leaving by elevenish. Donny did all the driving for
which I was happy. We drove till the shadows got long which remember
it was December so by 3:30 it had started.

The E-Street track was under a long low pair of bridges one a train
trestle and we were running alongside a modern race- I had imagined
100 Evolution riders , but there were only about 20 or so. We saw Ric
Tipton, the Maico Godfather (is that a true statement?) and the gang-
what looked like 29 Maicos all perfect and ready to go. After talking
to them Donny & I decided to join their encampment. Donny &
I were ready to sleep in Scott Silvias large Trailer, but Scott
wasnt coming until Sunday morning. I thought it might be a lot
nicer to stay in a motel, but Donny was going to just put up a pair
of tents that he had.

I
was on the fence- normally I wouldnt have a problem sleeping outside,
but apparently the trains kept a-rollin' through all night, and when
I said it IS December Donny said that
is a key factor... which made me laugh. The Super 8
was $50, and I said hell with the the 25 bucks. Bed & Shower? No
problems.

Also
there is HUGE theft problem at this track- one fellow we heard
about went out to practice, and his trailer was stolen, dragged
down to the river- this is in broad daylight- and the wheels were
stolen off it! I stole a few things just to fit in! So that was
it. And it was great to sleep in a BED.

OK - to the battle. The points situation was as follows. Two years
ago there was a fellow named Greg Kendrick who tied me for the
Intermediate Open Historic Championship. Id never seen him-
he won the two races alone in California, and I had done the same
at Eugene and Madras. The tie breaker was moto wins. But we had
the same as we had entered races as the lone entrant in the Class.
You may ask why do you care? and the answer is you always strive,
even if the particulars are amusing.

So
the crown was decided by who was OLDER - and Greg is 10 months
older than me! So he won the title. This year I could see it coming
all over again- most guys race bikes 79-84, depending on make.
So in the Ahrma System as you may remember the period after 1974
is divided into three segment, the first of which is Historic
75-77. And as such there are fewer entrants, which makes it easier
to win a championship.
So now today Greg Kendrick had shown up and I finally met him.
On the entry sheets I saw that hed entered +40 Evo, but
not Open Historic. Not that it made a difference as long as I
completed a moto and got at least one point.

Race
1  Intermediate Open Historic - heat (moto 4)  We
went over early, me following Donnys lead, and we waited
at the gate to the grid- a smaller area, even though there was
piles of space. Bikes all waiting some running pointed into a
funnel. As I sat on my YZ400 I looked down and saw that the fork
seal has gone completely by the wayside, and fork oil is pouring
all over the stanchion like a child who has spilled the entire
bowl of soup down his jumper.

And
I felt like that too- and of course immediately riders began to
point to warn me (that I was a cretin) and I covered the sight
with my hands making the old dont look at that
signal. Mario Andreini leaned over and said RIDE IT and I nodded
yep.

A young man with a clipboard read our names off and let us in
one by one. Then as I looked down I saw that my chain was bizarrely
loose, and THEN to my astonishment I saw that the lower motor
mount rattling loose, with no nut. WHY do you always see these
things on the line?

The
gate went down with me shifting into second right as it did: my
clutch drags like a piglet and Id rather not be trying to
hold it back with the brakes- The fast guys roared away and the
slower guys- (I say slower- slower than
I seemed to be going) receded behind me. I was simply trying
to ride smoothly without dropping the ball. Me alone between groups.

Race
2  Plus 40 Post Vintage - heat (moto 4)  I think it was
this race that I was chasing someone- and I hounded him until a proper
moment to pass. It was Tracy Kehoe - a quiet guy on one of the Maicos.
As I went by we almost came together- me going around the outside ,
and him drifting out. It was as much the looseness of both of us trying
to control our bikes as the track was very very choppy with potholes
and ruts. Of course it makes me appreciate Woodland a great deal all
over again.

Race
3  Intermediate Open Historic - main (moto 4)  On the line
I imagined the holeshot to see if I could will it to happen. But then
strangely the bike began to falter and no matter what I did the revs
got lower and lower... I now think the engine was loaded up but at the
time all I could think was that it was the plug fouling. In desperation
I tried revving it, babying it, but to no avail, and the gate went down-
I putted slowly to the first corner and pulled off and managed to get
it back to the truck at 58rpm, and changed the plug right quick. I roared
back out and chased Greg Kendrick for a bit passed him and finished
of course 3 laps behind him. Unbeknownst to me Greg wins- he had entered
Open Historic after all. Christy Bliss as I said who was taking pics
probably wondered where the hell I was... Afterwards I apologized for
dispatching her to take photos of me when I wasnt on the track
but ignominiously changing plugs back at the pits.

scroll
to the right here to see your editor shine briefly...

Race
4 Intermediate Open Historic - main (moto 4) moto 4  Now
nervously revving the bike, I now again imagined the holeshot, and amazing
but dumb I almost got it! I got an incredible launch off the
startline, and arrived at the first corner along with Keith Geddis and
Mario Andreini.

Woodland
is all about flat cornering, so this was familiar territory for me,
and again I got an awesome drive out of that corner, and found myself
slipping right through the two men ahead of me. Wow! I pass the leaders
Mario and Keith, and lead for 4 corners - and as I did I thought this
isnt going to last, but hey! and I let out a long whoohooo
inside my helmet. It was so NICE!!!

Anyway
back to earth- This lasted for 4 corners I think before the swarm came
by on both sides, and when we got to the double I let them go.
I was trying to hold on the the last man but just where Id been
leading the previous lap the bike landed sideways in the weird soft
stuff, and I went wiggly strangely all over the place, and then down
against the side of a bank of dirt- I yanked the bike up, and did get
going again. Now
having been down, I found myself strangely exhausted. I was chasing
one man- and I cant remember who it was- either Russ Held #35R
on the CR or Keith on the big Grey Maico- and it scarcely mattered.
I was on a high about leading even if it was brief.